The human being has always been a very competitive animal, but the circumstances in which we live seem to be accentuating this trait. The growing demands imposed on us in areas such as academia or work are a good indication of this, fostering an insatiable and exhausting desire to improve.

Society encourages the achievement of success and excessive ambition , and even many parents and teachers convey this message directly to children practically from the moment they arrive in this world, so that they develop a desire to “excel” in the facets that they judge to be most relevant.

This is the “seed” of perfectionism, which is planted in the fertile soil of an environment that promotes it, and which is fed by messages that we receive over time. In the end, a shy plant sprouts that orients its branches to the fleeting light of acceptance (its own or that of others), but that does not take long to grow and become a vine that is very costly to get rid of.

The aim of this article is to delve into the types of perfectionism that have been able to be classified, and the way in which they are expressed. At the end, a brief review of the basic characteristics of unadaptive perfectionism will also be made. With this we seek to understand a problem that affects more and more people every day.

What is perfectionism?

Perfectionism is an attribute that is usually understood in two very different ways: either as a virtue that leads to excellence, or as a defect that drags us into frustration and failure. It is expressed as the determination of high personal standards that can be difficult to achieve; or as the tendency to evaluate oneself or others in an enormously critical and negative way. All of this ends up translating into hyper vigilance in the face of any possible error, which diminishes the spontaneity of our actions.

Although perfectionism is not considered a pathological trait by itself , it has been possible to verify its contribution as a factor of vulnerability to multiple psychopathologies, among which those of mood, anxiety and food stand out. The fact is that unbridled perfectionism can imply an extraordinary rigidity, which conditions life and emotions to the point of “damaging” those who make it theirs. From the total incapacity to recognize fallibility (one’s own and/or another’s), to the well-being that is subject to one’s control or to hypervigilance; all are very frequent examples of the harmful tendencies of clinical perfectionism.

On the other hand, there are also authors who do not conceive perfectionism as a problem or inconvenience, at least when it fits a series of parameters. Thus, adaptive and maladaptive forms have been described, according to the concrete way in which goals and concerns interact . When both are high, an exaggerated imposition arises that torpedoes the life project, but if ambitious goals are reconciled with a healthy way of addressing them, a constructive balance is achieved. In this case we would talk about the adaptive modality.

Research on the latter issue confirms that adaptive perfectionism is linked to an intense sense of wholeness about existence, and that it also rises as a protective factor against a wide range of emotional problems. Pathological perfectionism, for which high goals and concerns (both) converge, is related to the opposite: life dissatisfaction and increased risk for psychological suffering.

In addition to this distinction between adaptive and maladaptive, perfectionism has also been classified into three subtypes according to how it manifests itself. Let’s get to know them a little better.

Types of perfectionism

Three different forms of perfectionism have been described, depending on who is influenced by them (oneself or others) and the origin of the self-imposed demands. They are not mutually exclusive, and it is likely that the same person presents several at once. Their characteristics and effects will be discussed in more detail below.

1. Self-Oriented

Self-oriented perfectionism is the one that most closely resembles the idea that is usually held about what this trait is. It implies the strict imposition of objectives and methods to which one must adhere in order to carry out the tasks in which one assumes responsibility, and from which the image one has of what one is. That is why, in this case, the self-evaluation criterion is located at an unassumable point; although it is only applied to the subject that presents the attribute, and not to the others.

When this trait is related to low concern, and therefore adaptive, it usually leads to extraordinary performance . But if it causes difficult emotional reactions, it can condemn the person who “suffers” it to constant states of despair, and to little personal self-fulfilment, regardless of the achievements made.

2. Oriented towards others

In this case, perfectionism implies rules that do not apply to the designer, but are only projected to his social environment . Those who present this subtype impose on others how they should act, demanding levels of performance that become overwhelming and generate excessive stress. In this case, they usually assume, with or without reason, a privileged position that evolves into tyranny and is not governed by democratic principles. It is common in cluster B personality disorders, such as narcissistic or antisocial.

In its adaptive version (which lacks any anxious component), the nuance of emotional empathy is added to the relationships with others, from which a good leadership capacity is derived. Nevertheless, a certain horizontality in communication would be required, despite maintaining a clear hierarchical structure.

3. Socially prescribed

Socially prescribed perfectionism is a subtype that is closely linked to interpersonal anxiety . In these cases, the person who lives with him assumes high standards without them arising from his own initiative, but rather from the belief that this is what others expect of him. It involves two distinct processes: a misperception of others’ expectations and an attitude of obedience to those expectations. This perfectionism is related to a low assertiveness, as well as to a fearful panic of abandonment or rejection.

Of all the subtypes described here, is the one that most often precipitates problems in the area of psychic health , especially anxious pictures. It is also often the social substratum of personality disorders included in cluster C, especially the dependent one.

How does maladaptive perfectionism express itself?

Next we will review the basic characteristics of maladaptive perfectionism, or in other words, the way in which it is expressed and suffered. It is in this case that the trait is spoken of as a problem that requires clinical attention, given that its consequences can be dramatic for emotional health and quality of life.

1. High standards

Extremely perfectionist people set very high goals for themselves, sometimes difficult to achieve in the short term , which often makes them a common source of frustration and pain. They extend to almost all areas of daily functioning, although they are especially common in work and academia.

They are, in the end, “ideal models” of behaviour/thinking that detract from naturalness and add a forced component to everyday activities. The way in which the person perceives himself and his practical skills (self-esteem/self-efficacy) would be associated with such subjective norms, harming himself as a direct consequence of his dissatisfaction.

2. Concern about making mistakes

Extremely perfectionist people tend to be constantly on the lookout for error, which prevents them from fully enjoying what they spend their time doing. Although a certain degree of caution is common for the result of an action to be optimal , its excess leads to a recurrent verification that does not produce an objective improvement in the final product, but does sacrifice many cognitive resources and an unfathomable sensation that something is “not quite right”. At the end of the process, the emphasis on the negative overcomes the appreciation of the positive.

3. High expectations

Perfectionists expect the results of their actions to be equivalent to the investment they make, ignoring in the process all the confusing variables that may contribute to them. Because the world is not always fair in the way it dispenses rewards/punishments, it is not uncommon for unfavorable consequences to be interpreted as unacceptable failure that undermines self-image. The fact is that there tends to be a strong internal attribution , stable and general of the negative things that happen; reason why many times it is difficult for them to work in group (since it is a context where they do not control everything).

4. Breeding styles

The overly perfectionist review of the person’s life history often leads to a pattern of family interaction characterized by rigidity and reinforcement restricted to achievement. These are styles marked by rectitude and extreme demands; in which positive behaviors are usually obviated, as they are judged as “normal”. Deviation from an exemplary standard imposed by parents, sometimes without detailing why, brings with it penalties of all kinds. As time goes by, these standards would be integrated as their own and would condition the way in which the person treats himself.

5. Hardness in judging oneself

We all embrace a discourse within ourselves about the way events happen. For example, in a difficult situation, we may try to rekindle our strength to overcome it by saying things like “I’m sure everything will work out” or “It’s not as bad as it seems.

However, those who are excessively perfectionist are always faced with the situation of a titanic task, which requires the massive investment of all their energies . That is why when the expected purpose is not achieved, their discourse becomes extremely harmful to the inner life (dissonance between effort and result). When it is achieved, however, only mental silence or temporary relief is observed.

6. Excess organization

Disadaptive perfectionism translates into a negative perception of the problems of everyday life, which are valued as a threat to the image one wants for oneself. This supposes a risk of a discrepancy between the ideal self and the real self , which would be interpreted in an absolutely catastrophic way. In order to avoid such a circumstance, one usually opts for exhaustive prior preparation; that is, for an excess of organization and planning. This is why activities that others develop without difficulty can be made “uphill” for those who live with this trait.

Bibliographic references:

  • Besser, A., Flett, G. y Hewitt, P. (2004). Perfeccionismo, cognición y afecto en respuesta al fracaso del rendimiento frente al éxito. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 22, 297-324.
  • Slaney, R., Pincus, A., Uliaszek, A. y Wang, K. (2006). Concepciones del perfeccionismo y problemas interpersonales: Evaluación de grupos mediante el método de resumen estructural para datos circunscritos. Assessment, 13 (2), 138-53.